Realistic presentation and pace

One of the finest monitors available regardless of price. If possible, add Harbeth's bass Extender built specifically for the P3 and LS3/5a. Very, very tight and accurate bass.

Similar Products Used:

LS3/5a, JMLAbs

When I installed these Harbeth speakers into my system (Quad 67CD, Naim Nait 3 amp, AudioQuest cables), I spent an entire weekend rediscovering my CD collection. The HLP3s (not the newer ES version, which I've heard sounds a bit different) are smooth performers that make any type of music such fun to listen to. There's a wealth of detail, yet you don't get that listener's fatigue you get with some similarly detailed speakers.
The only caveat is, on their own the P3s are really only suitable for smallish rooms. I first installed it in my living room and while the speakers disappeared just as well, letting the music hang in the air, there was no bass to speak of. On loud music, it was apparent that the speakers had difficulty filling up the room - at one point, the bass drivers were chuffing so hard I thought they might just fly into the room! In this case, it's better to audition the P3's bigger brothers - either the HL-K6 or the Compact 7. Or perhaps adding a quality subwoofer like the P3's own Bass Xtender or the REL Stentor.

Move them to a small room, though (which is what they were designed for, by the way) and the Harbeths really come into their own. Incredibly, the speakers have a very wide range despite the dimunitive size. I remember the manufacturer's brochure saying something about a full-range speaker in a shoebox design - which really sort of sums up these speakers in a nutshell. So in this case the manufacturer didn't lie.

Audition them in the right context, and you won't find many others around at this price range to beat them. 6 stars, definitely!

Excellent speakers now uprated to the HL-P3ES model. Exceptional neutrality, soundstaging and acuracy of detail, these loudspeakers just relay whats coming into them. Superb with all types of music, harbeth loudspeakers have to be heard to be believed.

Goog image

it's "only" a minimonitor

I've used P3 for 5 years with good happyness, obviusly my room is very small (4x4mt). However it's a very good choice for the monitor type!

Similar Products Used:

Roger, Spendor, ecc Ls3/5a

HL-P3ES??? Great monitors for small rooms (up to 20sqm). Very detailed and fast. Needs strong amps and should be bi-wired. With Xtenders sounds powerful.
System
Amp: John Shearne Phase 3
Preamp: Creek OBH12
Ints: Sonic Link Red Earth
Speaker cables: Sonic Link S900
CD: John Shearne Phase 7

holographic imaging,speakers disappear, tonally excellent

apart from deeper bass, none

The design has inherited excellent phase coherence, hence the spot on tonallity, and superb holographic, soundstaging and focus. Their diminuitive size, means smaller rooms are best suited. However in view of its phase coherence, the audio physic set up advice can be followed. If you sit in the middle and against the back of a long wall in your room with the speakers appproximately one quarter of the way in from its rear wall and one quarter of the way in from its side walls. You will be presented with the most astonishing soundstaging I have ever experienced. The speakers simply disappear. However, unlike many other phase coherent speakers, the sound is far from bright and etched. It has BBC heritage (it is an uppdated LS3 5A), and hence was designrd for its tonal accuracy, in particular vocals. These £700 speakers will get better with the electronics and are not out of place with £3-5000 of electronics. I have great success with Michell orca/ alectos and in particular when used with Goertz M1 Veracity, VDH the second interconnects. Although a tiny speaker dimentionally, their bass is suprizingly full of impact but above all is taut, detailed and always clearly focussed within a complex piece, not needing any close rear wall proximity if positioned in the manner I have descibed above. However, only a small percentage of tracks will miss the impact of deeper more powerful base. All categories of music sound excellent, every CD will sound different to what you are use to, as the musicians are clearly seperated in their own acoustic with holographic reproduction, as far behind the plane of the speakers as their recording microphones would have you believe. I could go on for hours, musicality, dynamics micro and macro etc. Reviews have described them as Quad electrostatic like for imaging and tonally perfect. What more need I say.

Similar Products Used:

PMC LB1 , Harbeth compact 7, Ruark Equinox,

Build quality,sound quality,value for money

power handling and sound pressure levels

First of all its time to come clean. Not only am I an audiophile in my spare time, I am an audiophile during the day as I import and distribute audio equipment. I have no connection with Harbeth, infact I import a competitors product! The Harbeth P3-ES is a very special product as it is capable of creating the illusion of a large performance from a very small box. Positioning of the speaker is not over critical that means it is suited to most domestic enviroments and excels in a confined space. For years I have been a fan of the LS3/5a and still am, but the P3 is a much better and more advanced product capable of reproducing the digital media. I would class the P3 as a true monitor as it is reveals 'warts and all' from a recording. This can be a probem for certain electronics manufatureres who penny pinch on quality components in the signal path or just use poor circuit designs. The P3 is capable of being as good as the rest of you system, and even on the front of high-end amplification they show their metal. The P3 is very well built and uses an unusual baffle design which I believe reduces colouration allowing the bass to be free and deep considering the volume of the cabinet. The treble unit is a metal dome type and as mentioned before is a killer for poor electronics. However the high frequencies are very well extended which is ideal for wide-bandwidth amplifiers. Power handling is very low as is sensitivity which makes them a difficult match for amplifiers. I find the best match to be a Sugden A21a pureclass A amplifier or any good low power valve amp as it is current limited and gives up at the same time as the P3 bass unit! The P3 dosen't look a cheap speaker and in sound quality terms it is competative with the more expensive Proac Response One and Totem model one, both of which I am familliar with and have used at several hi fi shows. If you have a large listening room that requires high sound pressure levels then forget the P3, my choice would be the Totem model One (or Signature) every time. If however your system is in a 15ft square room and you are compromised with your system set up, the Harbeth HL-P3 is the ultimate choice for quality sound reproduction and near field listening. My music reference is mainly classical.

Similar Products Used:

LS35a, Totem model one, Proac response one